ACEC-Ontario is calling on its member companies and their employees to contact the Ontario government on an important matter.
Although the Professional Engineers Act requires entities that provide professional engineering services to the public to carry minimum levels of professional liability insurance (PLI), there is an exception.
Regulations under the Act allow engineering entities to operate without PLI if they tell the client they are not insured and receive written consent from the client to carry out the work regardless. PLI is a risk transfer mechanism that protects the client and is part of the cost of doing business as an engineering company.
The public interest risk created by this exception is not small and the regulatory change to fix this problem is straightforward. In 2018, Professional Engineers Ontario reported that of the 5,673 entities authorized to provide engineering services to the public, 1,290 of them – more than 20% – were operating without PLI by relying on this exception. The risks of uninsured professional engineering services continue long after the work is completed and can impact the welfare of countless people across the province.
To fix this problem, the Ontario government simply needs to repeal subsections 74(2)(d) and 74(3) from Regulation 941 under the Act.
We need your help; your industry needs your action. Go here and ask your local MPP to support this regulatory change. All you must do is enter your name, address, and email, and a letter will be automatically sent. The Attorney General and the Minister of Red Tape Reduction will also receive a copy.
Act now!! Send in your letter and help make a positive difference.
Should you have any questions, please contact do not hesitate to contact Doug DeRabbie, Director, Government and Stakeholder Relations, at dderabbie@acecontario.ca.